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I don’t think there was ever a point when I didn’t know about feminism, or in my case, something like it.

My family is one of politics, and my childhood is a testament to that. My mother could plainly be construed as a feminist. At times my mother was irrationally against world, but then at other times she was just a woman not acknowledged. While she argued with countless people on the unfair treatment of her as an employee in reference to a male co-worker, I was watching from the floor playing with my dolls (an eclectic collection because my mother didn’t like Barbie). In the fifth grade I was never picked first for dodge ball, an event my mother attributed to boys’ parents being horribly sexist, even though everyone in class knew I was a bit of daydreamer and always the first one out.

I was a girly girl who didn’t see the sexism or inequality, while my mother dealt with it directly every day. I was always taught that equality could never be expected of society; instead I was to work harder and trust that I was just as good, if not better. See, for my mother there wasn’t feminism, just a severe lack of respect for women and their roles in society. She was one of the many that were not heard and not respected.

It was different for her then, and while I don’t think it’s necessarily better, the growing support of feminism is encouraging. You can’t pretend it doesn’t exist anymore. What strikes me the most about feminism is its persistence and dedication to an ideal that this is a free country and we should all have choices.

Today’s feminist ideas are everywhere. It seems to be an age where we are all quite aware of the issues facing women in the workplace and at home. The blogs on feminism are everywhere, all discussing the women’s freedom of choice and getting the word out that feminism is real and strong. There are still women all over struggling to break free from classic molds created in the 40’s by irrational minds, but they’re trying to break free and they are getting the support to do so.